


Last Christmas

by VileVenom



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Fluff, Inspired By Tumblr, M/M, gore? but not really? because nothing is described? at all?, it's Christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-28
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 21:09:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1061676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VileVenom/pseuds/VileVenom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special~</i>
</p><p>Cecil and Carlos exchange gifts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> It is far too early to be writing Christmas fic.  
> Oh well.
> 
> Inspired by:  
> http://littlechibialyss.tumblr.com/post/68327365114/hey-i-really-like-your-night-vale-drawing-and

Cecil grinned to himself as he cradled the carefully wrapped box in his arms as he approached the front door to the house Carlos rented along with his team of researchers. It was a modest enough house, with several semi-carnivorous flowers growing in the front garden, and one window boarded up from when one of Carlos’ coworkers had a rather interesting experience while trying to make pancakes one morning. It had made for quite an interesting morning show on the radio.

But, that was not why Cecil was climbing the three short stairs up to the front door of the scientists’ house. No, today was the day that he and Carlos had set aside to present each other with their chosen Christmas gifts to one another. They had been dating for a mere six months, and Cecil had insisted that the drugged up Government bears would bring more than enough gifts for everyone. However, Carlos had stated that he had already gotten Cecil a gift, and it was something of a tradition outside of Night Vale, apparently, to give your significant other a gift.

So, Cecil had agreed, heart warmed by the idea that Carlos had gone to the trouble of going out and getting Cecil a gift without any need to do so. Thus, he’d made sure his gift was extra special; inspired by one of the many Christmas songs that he’d heard filtering out of both the lab and rented houses’ windows over the past few weeks.

"Cecil," Marina, one of Carlos’ colleagues opened the front door only moments after Cecil had knocked, a bright smile on her face, and festive Santa hat on her head. "Come in! Carlos said he was expecting you. He’s up in his room," she chirped, stepping aside to let the radio host in.

"Thank you," Cecil replied with a slight nod, stepping and slipping off his shoes. He’d always found it a bit odd that the scientists would insist upon being shoe-less indoors. After all, what was one supposed to do if they had to flee from their home due to spontaneous raptor attacks in the middle of the night, and had no time to put on shoes? It boggled the mind. But, Cecil simply shrugged, and slipped on the offered fluffy purple slippers that he’d come to think of as his own every time he visited the rented house.

"You two can come down once you’re done exchanging gifts," Marina called as Cecil ascended the stairs, "We’re going to start decorating the Christmas tree!"

Cecil nodded to show he’d heard her, before vanishing around the corner of the stairs, blocking the lower level from view. He swallowed thickly as he walked down the brightly decorated hall, the soft glow of snowflake lights doing little to comfort him as he approached Carlos’ room. Worries suddenly plagued his thoughts, his fingers clutching tightly around the delicate box he held. What if Carlos didn’t like his gift? Worse! What if he didn’t accept it? Cecil stood in front of Carlos’ door, fretting, not immediately noticing that the door had opened, until someone cleared their throat in front of him.,

"Carlos!" Cecil gasped, nearly dropping his gift in surprised, only just managing to keep his hold on the glossy wrap.

"You seem surprised," Carlos teased, chuckling, "Were you expecting someone else to be in here?"

"N-no," Cecil scoffed, flushing darkly at the smirk on Carlos’ lips. "I just hadn’t expected you to open the door like that. I hadn’t even knocked yet."

"I heard someone walk down the hall, then stop in front of my room. I figured I should make sure it wasn’t another corporeal shadow trying to sneak in," Carlos said with a shrug, setting down the thick flashlight he’d had in his hand.

Cecil nodded, shuffling his slippered feet slightly on the hard wood of the hallway. “You going to let me in?” he inquired after they had stood, doing little else but stare at one another for a few minutes.

"Oh! Oh, right," Carlos muttered, moving back into his room and flopping down onto his computer desk chair to allow Cecil in. "Sorry, a little scattered today," he hummed, digging around on his desk for a minute, before producing a rather sloppily wrapped gift as Cecil sat gingerly on the edge of his bed.

Cecil eyed the package momentarily, causing Carlos to blush. “I’ve never been very good at wrapping gifts,” he admitted with a sheepish smile, holding the gift out towards Cecil. “Merry Christmas.”

Cecil smiled warmly at his boyfriend, taking the pro-offered box carefully, before tentatively holding his own gift out for Carlos to take. “Like wise,” he murmured, before turning his gaze down to the little box in his lap.

"You first," Carlos said with a grin, gesturing towards Cecil excitedly.

Cecil smiled indulgently at Carlos, before carefully picking the tape and ribbon away from the slightly crumpled wrapping paper, taking great care in not tearing the sparkly silver wrap. He bit his lower lip in curiosity as he pulled the lid off the box inside, gasping quietly at what he found.

"Oh, Carlos," Cecil cooed, pulling a delicate black leather necklace from the box, a heavy silver pendant hanging at the end, engraved with a deliberately aged rune on one side. “It’s beautiful!”

"It’s a Wunjo rune," Carlos explained, smile going soft and warm as he watched Cecil clip the necklace over his head, "It’s supposed to ward off woe and sorrow, and is a rune of love and harmony. I saw it while I was shopping one day, and while I was looking at it, Josie told me it would suit you. She sort of appeared out of nowhere, but I’m not one to pass up advice from her."

Cecil touched the pendant with two fingers, flushing brightly as he smiled down at it. “It’s lovely, my Carlos,” he murmured, before tearing his eyes aware to settle back on his boyfriend. “Your turn!” he chirped, folding his hands in his lap and biting his lip nervously.

Carlos grinned and tore into the the paper covering his gift, not caring to be as tedious as Cecil with the wrap. He flicked his gaze up momentarily to Cecil as he began to lift the lid on the box, the radio host, wiggling in anticipation as the scientist pulled the lid free.

Carlos blinked down at his gift, his smile faltering slightly as he set the lid on his desk absently. “Uhm,” he murmured, his smile turning worried as he looked back up at Cecil, arching an eyebrow.

"I-I know, it’s a little forward," Cecil rushed, waving his hands through the air, "but I just couldn’t help myself…" Cecil trailed off, swallowing thickly as Carlos continued to stare at him in concern and worry. "It’s my heart," he whispered.

Carlos jerked at Cecil’s whispered confession, lifting the box from his lap and holding it in the air, eyes wide and terrified. “What?!”

"I was going to take it out anyway, for my yearly check," Cecil murmured, shrinking slightly as he clutched at the pendant hanging around his neck, "so, I just decided to do it a little early this year. You seemed to like that song about the girl giving her heart away, so I thought it was some sort of couples thing people do where you come from. I-I’m sorry, if it’s too much."

Carlos seemed to calm slightly as Cecil spoke, gingerly lowering the box once more to peer inside. “You gave me your heart,” Carlos muttered, “for Christmas. Your literal heart.”

"I can take it back, if you don’t want it," Cecil offered, offering his hand out to take the box back.

"No!" Carlos snapped suddenly, pulling the box far out of Cecil’s reach, looking panicked, like Cecil would jump off of the bed to take it back. He blinked after a moment of awkward silence between them, clearing his throat and lowering the box back into his lap. "I mean, no. No, that’s fine." He smiled lopsidedly, while brushing his fingers along the edge of the box. "You gave me your heart for Christmas," he muttered again, before a laugh bubbled up from his stomach, "your heart."

"Yes?" Cecil replied, watching Carlos with slight trepidation.

"Only in Night Vale," Carlos sighed, turning his smile back to Cecil, before getting up and leaning over to press a kiss to the radio hosts’ forehead. "Thank you. I love it."

Cecil flushed happily, glad that he hadn’t overstepped some unwritten relationship boundary with his gift. “You’re welcome.”

Carlos chuckled as he put the lid back on the box and set it carefully on a high shelf on his desk, brushing his fingers along the side, before taking Cecil’s hand and tugging him up from the bed. “Let’s go help decorate,” he hummed, planting another quick kiss on Cecil’s cheek, before they headed downstairs.


End file.
